Unlikely Attractions
by saywhat
Summary: Paige's feelings change in this classic tale of the beauty and the nerd falling for each other.
1. Prospects

"JT, you're drooling."  
The words cut into JT's dream and he tried to ignore them. The crowd cheered as he...  
"JT?"  
"Wha-?" he mumbled then realized there was indeed drool dripping from the side of his mouth. He opened his eyes and wiped it away quickly. Manny was leaning over towards him smiling. "Oh. Uh, thanks, Manny."  
He had fallen asleep yet again in Biology during a slide show about dolphins. But it wasn't his fault. After all, the room had been dark and quiet and he hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, staying up to watch Die Hard and Die Hard 2 for the twelfth time.  
JT leaned his head against his hand trying to remember the pleasant dream he had been having. Oh yes. He and Paige had been walking down an aisle of people about to be crowned Prom King and Queen. All the girls in school had watched them jealously wishing they were in Paige's place on his arm. He smiled at the memory. It quickly faded as he remembered reality. While Paige didn't seem to hate him with the fire of a thousand suns anymore, she was happily dating Spinner. And JT's chances of being crowned Prom King were about as likely as his chances of being crowned Prince of England.  
Alright, I have to get over her, he thought determinedly. She's got a boyfriend and I can easily get a girlfriend. He glanced around the room, looking at the possibilities. Well let's see there's Manny of course, but she's still hung up on Craig. Plus she just saw saliva running down my chin, so no. Liberty? JT visibly shivered. I hope I'm never that desperate. Emma's got something going on with that new guy Chris. He couldn't think of any more possibilities. The rest of the girls were also either taken, out of his league or nearly as bad as Liberty.  
The bell rang, startling JT. He got to his feet with a sigh and starting collecting his books.  
"JT, that was some serious droolage," Toby said as he came up behind his friend. "I saw it all the way from the other side of the room."  
"Thanks for telling me," JT muttered as they walked out of the room towards their locker.  
"I did," Toby laughed. "I passed the message along through Manny."  
  
"Oh well in that case, never mind," JT replied sarcastically. He fumbled with the combination then wrenched open the locker door. Glancing down the hall, he caught sight of Spinner with his arm around Paige. They seemed to be in deep conversation about something. Growing even more depressed, JT threw his books carelessly onto the shelf of the locker. "How did you do it, Tob?"  
  
"Do what?" Toby asked as he sorted through his things.  
"Get Kendra. You know, get a girlfriend."  
Toby shrugged. "I dunno. It just kinda happened." His eyes took a dreamy look. "We both had the same interests and found each other attractive and now we're very happy—"  
"Ok that's all good and well for you two. But what about me?" JT closed the locker forcefully. "I need someone. Someone better than Liberty," he added anticipating what Toby was about to say. "You have to help me find the perfect girl."  
  
"You can't go looking for the perfect girl. You have to wait for her to come to you. Life isn't about searching for love. You have to just let things happen."  
"Ok, Mr. Fortune Cookie, easy for you to say," JT said. "You found love." They passed by Paige who was laughing about something with Spinner, Ashley and Terri and she smiled at JT. He smiled back slightly. Then he squared his shoulders determinedly. "I just need someone new. Someone we don't already know. Someone like—Sean!"  
Toby raised his eyebrows. "Sean? I don't think he's quite what you're looking for."  
  
Ignoring him, JT hurried over to where Sean was standing. He had a bunch of papers stuffed in his back pocket and was handing one of them to a group of girls. As they walked away, JT tapped Sean on the shoulder.  
"What's this? Looks like a flier for a party." JT tried to grab the paper but Sean pulled it away.  
"It's none of your business. You're not invited," Sean told him.  
"So it is a party." JT tried to see the address but Sean crumpled it up.  
"Not for you," Sean said before walking away.  
JT watched him turn a corner and disappear. His lips curled up into a smile as he looked at the paper he had managed to pull from Sean's pocket. "Is that right?" He scanned the sheet quickly. It was that Saturday evening at Sean's place. The flier promised plenty of beer and music. For JT it also said there would be plenty of girls to help him get over Paige.  
  
+++  
  
Paige strolled to school that morning, next to Spinner as usual. They were having a heated discussion.  
"I don't think that the spirit squad should get the money," Spinner was saying. "The soccer team really needs the new equipment."  
"Um, hello, have you seen the uniforms Bardell has? Ours look like something my grandmother sewed compared to those," Paige replied. "The ones from the catalog are totally hot."  
  
Spinner smiled suddenly. "Well, maybe it's not such a bad idea after all. I wouldn't mind seeing my honey bunny in a cute new uniform."  
Paige smiled up at him as he leaned in to peck her on the lips. She slipped her hand into his as they entered the building and headed for her locker. He leaned against the locker next to hers' as she began to spin the combination dial. "Did you hear about the party at Sean's house Saturday night?" she asked him.  
"Uh, yeah, I heard something about it," Spinner replied.  
"It's at eight o'clock but I figure we should get there at around nine just to be fashionable late," said Paige as she hung up her jacket.  
Spinner straightened. "I can't go, remember? My dad won those box seats to the hockey game. No way I'm passing those up."  
"Oh." Paige was disappointed. "So I'm going to have to go solo to this thing?"  
"Well you can always go with Hazel or Ash or someone." Spinner put his arm around her. "But I'll miss you."  
Paige had a funny feeling she knew what was coming. "Um, I'll miss you too, sweetheart."  
  
Spinner had a rare serious look on his face. "Paige, I-I lov—"  
"Ash!" Paige called out spotting the girl walking towards them with Terri at her side. Her chest flooding with relief, she heard Spinner sigh as he removed his arm from her shoulders. "Terri, hey."  
"What's going on?" Ashley asked.  
"Um, well, I was, uh, just wondering if you guys were going to the party on Saturday at Sean's. Spinner can't go so maybe we could make it a girl's night?" Paige avoided Spinner's eyes.  
"Yeah, sounds great," Terri said enthusiastically. She waved the flier. "It sounds like it's gonna be a good party. He's gonna have a DJ and everything."  
"Great," Paige replied, forcing a smile. "Can't wait."  
"I just gotta make sure I stay away from the drinks," Terri said with a rueful grin. Everyone laughed. Paige noticed JT and Toby approaching. She smiled at him but he barely smiled back. She quickly turned her attention back to the conversation, unwilling to ponder JT's behavior.  
"The end of the week can't come soon enough," Ashley was saying. "I've got a science exam and I heard we're gonna have a pop quiz in English on the reading, which I did not do."  
Paige nodded in agreement but turned slightly to watch JT and Toby walking down the hall. She noticed that they were clutching the party flier and was surprised to feel her heart flutter slightly. 


	2. Out of love

Paige let out a cry of delight upon receiving her test paper back in Spanish class later that day. She spun around quickly in her chair. "Spin, I actually got a 95!"  
Spinner was frowning at his own paper. "I got a 65 and detention this afternoon."  
"What?" Paige snatched the paper from his hands then rolled her eyes. "Well maybe if you would refrain from drawing obscene pictures on the paper..."  
Spinner laughed, taking the paper back. "I got distracted."  
Paige just shook her head.  
"How did you manage to get a 95 anyway?" he asked.  
"Gee thanks."  
"No, I didn't mean it that way. This stuff is hard. How does she expect me to remember the past tense for all these words?"  
"Maybe you should try studying," Paige said testily before turning back around. She heard Spinner mumble something under his breath and sighed. A few months ago she would have found his antics funny, even cute. Now they were starting to annoy her. Still, she did care for him. He was actually funny at times and had done a lot for her last year when she had been dealing with her rape. But she was pretty sure she wasn't in love with him. She felt guilty every time he tried to bring up their relationship but did her best to ignore his attempts to tell her that he loved her.  
Am I totally evil and crazy? she thought. He really loves me and he's been really good to me. But why don't I feel the same way?  
  
+++  
  
That Saturday, the sky was overcast, promising rain. Puffy dark clouds hung low in the sky and most lawns were already glistening with dew.  
Paige hurried as quickly as she could to Hazel's house, clutching an overstuffed duffel bag tightly. They had both told their parents that they would be sleeping over each other's house after the party that night, planning on staying out as late as they wanted.  
By the time Paige reached her friend's doorstep, a light mist had already begun to fall. She bounced impatiently until the door opened then quickly stepped inside.  
"This weather sucks," Paige said as they headed upstairs. "My hair is going to frizz like crazy tonight." She dumped the contents of her bag onto Hazel's bed.  
Hazel sat down next to the pile, sifting through it. "Cute outfit." She held up the black pants and lacy red top.  
"Yeah I decided to go for a little more subtle after my last big party," Paige replied. "Not that I'm going to be looking for that kind of thing anyway." She opened Hazel's jewelry box and began holding up earrings against her ears in the mirror.  
"Yeah you've already found your soulmate," Hazel said with a smile. "But I gotta find an outfit that's gonna help me find mine." She began to look through her closet, taking out articles of clothing and throwing them on the bed.  
"Yeah, soulmate," Paige said, not realizing how sarcastic her voice was.  
Hazel paused and turned to the other girl. "What's that supposed to mean?"  
Paige slipped a pair of silver hoops on. "What are you talking about?" She turned her head to admire how they looked.  
"Are you and Spinner having problems or something?" Hazel pulled out a pair of red shoes and tossed them onto the bed.  
Paige shook her head as she picked them up and sat down to try them on. "Not at all." She buckled the straps then stood up carefully, wobbly on the high heels. "No problems."  
"Well, then why didn't you sound thrilled when I said that he was your soulmate?" Hazel replied.  
"Well, soulmate is such a strong word," Paige said slowly. "He's just my boyfriend."  
"But you guys are in love...aren't you?" Hazel sat on the bed.  
Paige came over to sit beside her and looked down at her hands folded in her lap. "Yeah, well one of us is."  
Hazel looked at her for a second then nodded knowingly. "Ohh. I see."  
Paige felt instantly relieved. "You do?"  
"Yes, I completely understand. And don't worry about it. Spinner will definitely come around."  
"Huh?"  
"Guys have a hard time saying I love you. I especially would expect that with Spinner. But he really does care about you a lot. I'm sure he'll say it soon." Hazel smiled and patted Paige's hand.  
Paige forced a smile on her face. "Thanks," she replied, not wanting to correct the other girl. In a way, she almost wished the situation was what Hazel thought it to be. It seemed so much harder to be on the receiving end of unrequited love, having someone else's feelings resting in your hands. The pressure was starting to get to her.  
They got ready and in a few hours were dressed up, ready to leave. Hazel tugged at the short denim skirt she wore and asked for the thousandth time if she looked okay.  
"Yes!" Paige replied exasperated. "You ready?"  
Hazel applied another coat of lipgloss, tucked the tube into her purse and nodded. "Let's go." She and Paige headed downstairs straight through the front door, as Hazel's parents weren't going to be home until late that evening.  
"This is so exciting," Hazel said as they hurried along, their shoes tapping loudly on the ground. "We could so get seriously busted if your parents call my house or mine call your house."  
"Well that's what makes it fun," Paige replied, grinning. She glanced around. "It's kinda creepy walking here alone at night—"  
"BOO!"  
  
Both girls screamed, jumping back as two figures leapt at them from the hedge next to them.  
Jimmy and Marco were doubled over with laugher, even as Hazel and Paige began smacking them with their purses.  
"You guys are such jerks!" Paige cried. "I thought you were murders or muggers or something!" She paused, trying to get her heart to stop beating so quickly.  
"You both jumped like a foot in the air," said Jimmy who finally managed to catch his breath but was still smiling. Marco was still chuckling.  
The four of them began to walk along.  
"Where's your honey bunch?" Marco asked Paige.  
"Oh he had tickets to a hockey game or something," Paige replied as casually as she could, trying not to sound too disappointed or happy. She knew Hazel was listening closely.  
"Oh too bad," said Jimmy. "Poor Paige is going solo."  
Paige rolled her eyes. "Well it was supposed to be a girls night, until you two showed up."  
"Actually, it can still be considered a girls night," said Hazel with an innocent grin. Both boys smirked at her.  
They reached Sean's house still bickering good-naturedly. They all stopped short upon seeing the front yard.  
The small house was blazing with lights. Couples sat in lawn chairs, staring up at the sky or making out. There were beer cans and cups littering the lawn while a group of boys were rolling a keg up the front walkway. The four of them could hear the music blaring from where they stood.  
Paige and Hazel exchanged excited looks. This party looked crazier than any other party they had attended before.  
"Well it should be interesting at least," Marco murmured as they walked towards the house, pointing to a broken window. "Looks like we missed some of the festivities."  
Paige walked through the door and as she looked around the room, she spotted someone who made her heart jump even more than when Jimmy and Marco had scared her before. She took a step back, knocking into Hazel.  
"Paige, ow! What—"  
"Dean," whispered Paige. 


	3. Almost

JT and Toby were hopelessly lost.

"We definitely got off at the wrong stop," said Toby, looking around at their unfamiliar surroundings.

"No, really?" JT replied, sarcastically. "I thought you were supposed to be the brainiac." He groaned looking at his watch. "We were supposed to be there a half hour ago. By now all the girls must be taken." 

"Okay, relax," said Toby. He glanced at the bus route posted on a nearby pole. "It looks like we just got off a stop too early. If we walk down this way," he said, peering off to their right, "we should get there eventually."

JT sighed. "I guess we'd better. But if we don't get there soon…"

They walked along in silence for a long time before Toby spoke.

"I feel guilty being here without Kendra."

JT rolled his eyes. "There's nothing to feel guilty about. You invited her and she said she didn't want to come. It's not like you're going with another girl or anything."

Toby stared at the ground. "I know, I know. But she sounded so disappointed in me. You should have heard her. 'Why would you want to go to a party and watch other people make fools of themselves, not to mention risking making a fool of yourself in the process?' She wanted to show me the new game she got for her computer tonight."

"Well that sounds like more fun than a raging party," replied JT. "Listen, Tob, don't worry about a thing. You'll forget all about Kendra when…" He paused, hearing the stains of music. A grin spread across his face. "When you have the time of your life tonight." He started to jog and soon reached Sean's house. He was surprised at the state it was in but took it as a sign that this would indeed be a wild night.

They entered the house trying to look as cool and tough as possible. JT looked around, trying to figure out how to make the most of his time. They weren't sure how long JT's parents would be gone and definitely did not want to arrive home after they did. 

JT spotted Sean and quickly grabbed Toby by the elbow, leading him into the kitchen. 

"Get off of me," Toby muttered, yanking his arm away.

"Sean-alert. I don't think he should see us. He might kick us out." JT looked around and grinned upon seeing a group of girls surrounding a tray on the counter. He rubbed his hands together. "Ladies, here I come." He strutted over to where they stood. "What have we got here?" JT peered into the tray to see several small cups filled with different colored liquids. "Punch?"

The girls laughed. A tall blond smirked at him. "They're jello shots," she told him snidely.

"Ah, of course, of course," JT said quickly. "I was just kidding. I love these things." He picked one up one. "Cheers." He dumped the jello into his mouth and nearly spit it back out again. The girls burst into laughter again then walked away shaking their heads. JT quickly spat into the sink then grabbed a glass of water, trying to rinse out his mouth.

"No good?" Toby was smiling.

"Uh-uh," JT replied as he wiped his mouth. "That tasted like acid mixed with—" He trailed off as he caught sight of who was entering the kitchen. "Hey that's Dean."

"Who?" Toby asked, following JT's line of sight. 

"He, um, was the guy I got into that fight with last year at the game."

"Oh yeah. You never did explain to me what happened."

JT turned away quickly as Dean looked in their direction. "Never mind. Let's get outta here." They hurried through the other door into the hallway. It was crowded and filled with smoke. He spotted Sean standing with a group of friends, all laughing and drinking beer.

Turning quickly on his heel, JT saw Ashley and Terri.

"Hello, girls how are you on this fine evening?" JT coughed as someone blew a puff of smoke into his face.

The two girls looked at each other.

"We were better before we ran into you two," Ashley replied. "I don't think you're supposed to be here, Toby."

Toby rolled his eyes. "Like your mom would be thrilled to hear that you went to a party like this too?"

Ashley sighed. "Good point."

"Have you seen Paige?" JT interjected.

Terri shrugged. "Saw her a little while ago but we lost her when we were dancing." She grinned. "Hey did you see that dance Jimmy was doing? It's from the new video…" The two girls turned away from JT and Toby and walked into the living room.

JT sighed and scanned the room.

"I thought you were supposed to be getting over Paige," Toby reminded him. "Why are you looking for her?"

"I-I just thought of something that I wanted to tell her. There she is!" JT finally spotted her standing with Hazel in the dining room. He hurried over then skidded to a stop upon seeing what was going on. Hazel's eyebrows were knitted with worry. Paige was setting down an empty bottle of beer next to another one and was opening one more. They were arguing about something and Paige was obviously very drunk.

JT edged closer, trying to listen.

"Paige, we really should go," Hazel was saying. "You've had plenty to drink. Why don't you let me have that one?"

Paige pulled the bottle away. "It's mine! Go find your own! And we're going to stay here all night. I don't care that stupid Dean is here. I'm not going to let him get to me anymore. I'm going to have the best night of my life!" She raised her arms, spilling beer onto the girl next to her. "Oops! Sorry didn't see you there." 

"Don't let Dean get you upset. Give me the bottle, please."

"Fine, take it." Paige shoved the bottle into her friend's hand. "I want to dance. I'll prove to Dean that I don't give a crap about him anymore."

Hazel took the bottle and set it down then turned to watch Paige climbing onto the table. "Paige! What are you doing?!"  
"Dancing, silly!" Paige began to dance wildly as people gathered around watching. Many were laughing and pointing.

JT came over to stand at the edge of the crowd. He noticed Dean was in the crowd, laughing with his friends. 

"See, Dean, I'm having plenty of fun, despite what you did to me!" Paige shouted. 

"Paige, get down!" Hazel was shouting desperately.

JT elbowed his way through the crowd as fast as he could. He had to get to her before she embarrassed herself even further. 

"Paige!"

Paige looked down at him, pausing for a second. "Oh, hey JT!" 

"Paige, please come down," JT cried urgently. "I know why you're doing this but you have to come down, okay?"

Paige shook her head, grinning. "Nope, not until my big finish!" She spun around on one foot, lost her balance and started to fall. JT dashed forward but knew he wouldn't make it in time.

Suddenly, Sean came out of nowhere and caught Paige just before she would have hit the ground. The crowd cheered. JT came over as quickly as he could.

"Take her," Sean said, pushing Paige into JT's arms. "Get her to a bathroom or outside or something. She looks like she's gonna puke."  
JT looked at Paige's face and she did indeed look close to vomiting.

"Come on," he said, pulling her towards the bathroom. When they reached it there was a line of almost a dozen people. "Damn."

"Get her outside," Hazel said, coming up behind them. She helped JT drag Paige out back just in time as she vomited onto the lawn. Hazel held back her friend's hair, grimacing. "I told you not to have that second bottle."

Paige just groaned and threw up again.

A cell phone rang shrilly and Hazel dug through her purse trying to find it. "Hello?" Her eyes suddenly widened. "Mom, I—okay. Okay!" She snapped the phone shut. "Oh we're in trouble. Well, maybe not you but definitely me, Paige." 

"Huh?" Paige mumbled.

"My mom called your house and there was no answer. She knows I'm here."

"Oh yeah, my parents were going to stay over at a friend's house tonight or something," Paige said. She groaned. "We're so busted."

"Maybe not," JT said slowly.

"What do you mean?" Paige asked. "We're definitely caught. Hazel told her parents she was sleeping over my house and I told mine I was sleeping over her's."

"Well, you could just pretend like you had no part in it," JT suggested. "Say that Hazel had used you as a cover without you knowing."

Paige looked at Hazel hopefully. "Could you?"

Hazel shrugged. "I don't see why not. It's not like I could get into any more trouble than I'm already in. Just hope my mom doesn't tell your mom." She sighed. "I guess I'd better get going. Are you going to be okay?"

Paige nodded. "I'll be fine. Good luck."

Hazel patted her on the shoulder then walked back into the house.

JT looked back down at Paige. "Are you really okay?"

Paige grimaced. "I feel completely gross." She wiped her mouth. 

"Come on." JT led her over to a lawn chair and helped her sit down. "You should probably just relax for a little while."  
Paige leaned forward, putting her head into her hands. "Did I really just do that? Did I really just dance on that table and yell that stuff at Dean?"

"Yeah. But hey, at least you got down before anything really bad happened," JT said, comfortingly. 

"I guess. God, that was so embarrassing." She swiped at her eyes quickly. "I can't believe he was here."

"But it doesn't matter, right?" JT said. "I mean, you're over him. There's nothing to be afraid of anymore."

Paige shrugged, wrapping her arms around herself. "I am over him but it's still hard seeing him all of a sudden like that. In same kind of place where…it happened." JT could see tears glistening in her eyes and all he wanted to do was hold her in his arms and tell her everything would be okay. Instead he opted to pat her arm, sitting down in the edge of the chair.

"Thank you," Paige whispered.  
JT's eyebrows shot up. "Whoa, Paige, thanking me for something? So out of character, so strange…"

"Shut up," Paige replied, but she was smiling. She leaned forward to hug him. "I mean it, thank you."

"Now I know you must be drunk," JT said, his heart racing, glad it was dark out so she couldn't see the flush creeping up his neck.

Paige pulled away and looked into his eyes. "You know, JT, I wish…" 

JT could see her lips only inches away from his. He longed to close the gap. "You wish what?"

"I wish that…" She leaned closer.

JT started to close his eyes and lean in. Suddenly Paige turned away, leaned over the side of the chair and threw up into the bushes.

__

Well that was lovely timing, he thought with a sigh.

  
  



	4. Confusion

JT walked Paige home in mostly silence. She was still trying to walk in a straight line as they approached her porch. 

"Thanks for walking me home," Paige said as she fumbled through her purse for her keys. 

"No problemo." JT stuck his hands into his pockets and rocked back and forth on his heels. "Well I guess I'm gonna go home." He turned to go.

"Wait," Paige said suddenly.

JT turned around hopefully. "Yes?"

"Where's Toby?"

JT's eyes widened. "Um, I gotta go back to the party. See ya!" He quickly took off back in the direction they came in.

Paige watched him go, chuckling. Then she let herself into the dark house and went over to the answering machine. She erased the message Hazel's mother had left then went into the bathroom. Too exhausted to take a shower, she splashed some water onto her face, brushed her teeth and crawled into bed, still dressed. Her head ached terribly but she managed to fall asleep quickly.

The next morning, the sun shone brightly. It had rained during the night and the sky was empty of clouds.

Paige groaned as she began to wake up. She hadn't closed her blinds and the sunlight streamed directly onto her bed, making her headache worse. With a sigh, she got out of bed and closed the blinds. Then she headed into the shower, hoping it would clear her head.

Feeling a little better, she got dressed then headed down into the kitchen. Her parents still weren't home but there was a message on the answering machine from them, saying they would be home later that evening.

It was nearly one o'clock. Still feeling a bit nauseous, Paige poured herself a glass of water then settled down in front of the television. As she flipped through the channels aimlessly, her thoughts were elsewhere.

_Did I really almost kiss JT last night?_ she wondered. It was so absurd that she was beginning to think she had dreamed it. _Ugh, I wish last night had been a dream_. Despite her efforts to stop them, memories of last night kept flooding her brain. _The only reason I wanted to kiss JT was because I was upset about Dean,_ she told herself. _It's a good thing my stomach decided to take over for my brain._ Still, she couldn't help but think of how sweet he had been last night. He had taken care of her and walked her home, been there for her when she needed him. _Just like Spinner_, she reminded herself. _Remember Spinner, your boyfriend? The guy who's in love with you?_

Getting up from the couch, she went into her own bedroom and forced herself to look at Spinner's picture, which sat on her nightstand. It was after they had won the soccer championship last year. She had to admit he looked adorable, grinning happily into the camera, grass-stained but victorious. But then she remembered JT's face when it had been inches from her's the night before. He had looked so surprised and eager.

With a groan, she fell back onto her bed. _Life is hard_, she thought.

+++

Spinner grunted as the phone rang, jarring him awake. He moaned, rolling over, letting someone else answer it. Just as he felt himself drifting back to sleep there was a sharp knock on the door. Kendra entered the room and dropped the cordless phone on top of him. "It's for you." She turned and left.

"Thanks," he muttered sarcastically, snatching up the phone. "What?" he barked. 

"Whoa, whoa, Spin, calm down," came Jimmy's voice.

"Why are you calling me so early?"

"Early? It's two o'clock in the afternoon."

Spinner looked at the clock. "Like I said, early." He could picture Jimmy rolling his eyes at the other end. "So what do you want?"

"I just wanted to tell you something important. Something I think you should know."

"Okay…"

"Well you know how I went to that party yesterday that Paige went to?"

"Yes?" Spinner sat up in bed, starting to feel wary.

"Well, um, see, what had happened was—"

"Jimmy just tell me," Spinner demanded.

"Well, she got kinda drunk and I think I saw her kissing JT in the backyard," Jimmy said in a rush.

Spinner was silent for a moment before beginning to laugh. "Good one, Jimmy, but it wasn't worth waking me up for."

"Man, I'm not kidding. I'm sorry."

Spinner realized that Jimmy was indeed serious by the sympathetic tone of his voice. "B-but that's impossible. She wouldn't do that. Why would she do that? She can't stand JT."

"I'm sorry," Jimmy said again. "If it makes you feel better, she was really drunk."

Spinner was still in shock. "But JT?" He balled his hands into fists. "I'll kill him."


	5. Confrontations

JT and Toby took the long way to school Monday morning. It was frigid outside and their breath came out in wisps of steam as they talked.

"So what are you going to do today?" Toby asked.

JT shrugged. "I have no idea. She probably forgot about the whole thing anyway. It's not like anything can come of it. Not with The Hulk around, anyway."

They approached the school and joined the usual crowd that hung out on the steps despite the low temperature. JT found himself standing next to Manny.

"Hey, Manny, looking lovely today as usually," he said, flashing his grin at her. "Did you do something different with your hair?"

Manny smiled at him but her eyes were fixed on Craig who stood a few feet away. "Uh-huh."  
JT sighed and went back over to where Toby stood talking to Kendra. "Why are girls so dumb?"

Kendra frowned at him. "Excuse me?"

"I mean, not you, not most girls, just, um, certain girls." He smiled weakly.

Toby shook his head. "And you wonder why you don't have a girlfriend. You should—" A big hand suddenly reached out from behind him and grabbed him by the shoulder, yanking him out of the way.

Spinner stood there, towering over JT, anger in his eyes, his arms crossed on his chest. "Hello, JT."

JT's heart started beating faster. "Uh, hi Spinner." He tried to keep his voice calm and steady. "What's going on?"

"Oh nothing much. There's just this loser who kept on trying to get with my girl and I warned him to stay away but apparently he didn't take me seriously." Spinner's hands were clenched into tight fists now.

JT let out a nervous bark of laughter. "Oh really? Well I guess I'd better leave you alone to find that kid." He started to back away slowly.

Spinner stepped closer to him. "Found him." He raised his fist.

JT winced, bracing himself. "Spinner, nothing happened between me and Paige!"

"Really? I think your lying." He shoved JT hard, knocking him to the ground.

JT struggled to get to his feet. "I'm not lying, Spinner, I swear. I just was helping her out because she was sick."

A crowd had begun to gather around them. JT prayed that it would attract the attention of a teacher but so far, it didn't look like anyone was coming to his aid.

"I have a good source that says that you did more than just 'help her out'." Spinner raised his fist and it connected with JT's jaw. He tasted blood in his mouth as his head whipped to the side.

The crowd was cheering and yelling now. JT figured a teacher would be coming soon but didn't care. Suddenly angry, he ran to Spinner and tackled him around the waist, nearly knocking him off of his feet. Spinner regained his balance and tried to grab JT in a headlock. JT managed to dodge Spinner's outstretched arms and delivered a hard punch to the other boy's stomach. Spinner grunted but grabbed JT by the collar.

"SPINNER!"

JT saw Spinner look up at the sound his name and took advantage of the opportunity to try and free himself but Spinner held him fast. JT glanced up and saw Paige fighting her way through the crowd towards them.

"Spinner let him go!" she cried.

Spinner reluctantly obliged, shoving JT away from him.

Paige hit Spinner on the arm. "What do you think you were doing? Why were you beating up JT?"

"Oh please, I know what went on between the two of you at the party on Saturday," Spinner replied heatedly. 

"You…do?"

"Yes. I know that you two had a little game of tonsil hockey. What did you think I was just going to let him get away with it?"

"A game of what?" Paige looked around to see the crowd talking excitedly. "We did not!"  
Spinner rolled his eyes.

"God, Spin, why don't you believe me? Nothing happened between me and JT. I can't believe you would think that and do something as immature and stupid as picking a fight with him! This is why I can't—"

"BOYS!" Mr. Radditch's booming voice cut Paige off. "I saw what was going on from my office and got down as quickly as I could. Both of you, in my office right now." He grabbed both of them by the arm and hauled them away. When they reached the office he pointed to a chair. "JT, you sit. Spinner, come with me."

JT slouched in his chair and dabbed at his bleeding lip as the door to the office slammed shut. He spent what felt like eternity imaging his parents' possible punishments for him when the door finally opened and Mr. Radditch motioned for him to come in. Spinner glared at JT as he walked past. 

"JT Yorke," Mr. Radditch said closing the door firmly then taking a seat behind the desk. JT took the familiar chair opposite the principal. "You're becoming a regular fixture in here. Perhaps I should get you your own coffee mug?"  
JT wasn't sure if he should laugh so settled for a tiny smile. "I'm sorry sir."

"Yes, sorry." Mr. Radditch sighed then folded his hands on the desk. "Well it would be unfair for me to give you a stronger sentence than Spinner so I will see you both in detention on Saturday morning. However, you step out of line one more time Mr. Yorke and you'll get a lot more than that. Do you understand?"

JT nodded. "Perfectly."  
Mr. Radditch nodded towards the door. JT took that as his cue and left quickly.

+++

"So then he told me that I would have detention on Saturday morning which means I can't play in the soccer game," Spinner was telling Jimmy and Hazel during lunch that day. They were seated at the picnic tables outside the school. There was a light breeze but it had warmed up since that morning.

"Oh man, that sucks," Jimmy said. Hazel nodded in agreement.

"Well if you hadn't started to fight in the first place, then you wouldn't have this problem," a voice came from behind Spinner. He turned to see Paige standing there, her arms folded across her chest. 

"What was I supposed to do?" Spinner replied as she sat down across from him.

"Gee I don't know, Spin, maybe not hit the kid about half your size," Paige replied angrily.

"After what you two did, I don't see how you can yell at me for doing what I did," Spinner said, his voice starting to grow louder.

Jimmy and Hazel looked at each other.

"Oh hey, remember we had that thing?" Jimmy said quickly. "You know, for, um, that class." 

"Oh right!" Hazel gathered up her books. "See you guys later."

Spinner and Paige barely registered the two as they left.

"I told you," Paige said in a low controlled voice. "Nothing happened between JT and I. He was just helping me out because I was sick. That was it."

Spinner folded his arms. "Why should I believe you? It's not like—" He broke off suddenly, looking down at the table. 

"Not like what?"

Spinner looked back up at her, the anger suddenly draining out of him. "It's not like things aren't different between us."

"What do you mean?"

Spinner shrugged, playing with his sandwich. "Oh come on, you know what I'm talking about. We haven't been seeing each other much. You're always busy."

"Well yeah, sure, I have a lot of stuff going on—"

"It's not just that," Spinner interjected. "Even when we're together things aren't right." He sighed. "You can't blame me for thinking that you would start to look somewhere else."

"Spin, you're right," Paige said slowly. "Things have changed but things always change in relationships. It doesn't mean the relationship has to end or I'm going to cheat on you."

Spinner stared at her. "Okay. Then tell me you love me."  
Paige was silent. "Spinner…"

"I'm serious, Paige. If you say that you think our relationship isn't garbage then say it. Because I love you but I have no idea how you feel."

Paige looked down at her hands. She was quiet for a long time while Spinner watched her, his heart in his throat. 

"That's what I thought." Spinner shook his head and got up from the table leaving Paige alone to figure out what she should do.

  
  



	6. Detention

JT was surprised at how well his parents took his detention. Especially considering the fact that he didn't tell them about it. He had been anticipating a phone call from Principal Radditch and managed to convince an older boy on his block to answer it and pretend to be his father. Then he told his parents he would be at Toby's house on Saturday morning working on a project and that they were not to be disturbed. 

He walked to school that morning wishing he were headed any place else. The day was beautiful, with a warm breeze rustling the trees and he was about to spend five hours inside a school with someone who wanted to rip his guts out. 

JT found the detention room easily enough, having spent many afternoons there. However, this time, it seemed different with the school empty and Principal Radditch sitting at the teacher's desk in the front. Spinner was seated in the front of the room in one corner. Principal Radditch motioned for JT to take the seat on the opposite side in the same row. 

"You two will stay here. I will not be in here. I have some very important phone calls to make in my office. However, it is two doors away and I will be checking in regularly. I expect you two to be on your best behavior and if anything happens here, both of you will be suspended. Now I told you to bring some school work or proper reading material with you. I trust you have or else I have some for you."

JT nodded at his textbook. Spinner took a notebook and pen out of his backpack. 

"Good. I'll be back soon." With that, Principal Radditch left, closing the door behind him.

JT shook his head then opened his textbook, inside of which he had hidden a comic book.

They were both silent for several minutes before Spinner spoke.

"Hey. You're not supposed to have that. That's not proper reading material."

JT rolled his eyes. "Thanks, Ms. Kwan." He continued to read.

Spinner stood up, closing his notebook. "I'll go call Principal Radditch."

JT shoved back his chair and stood up as well. "Oh, okay, you go do that. You're used to being the good little lapdog, aren't you?"

Spinner's eyes narrowed and JT feared he had gone too far. "What exactly do you mean by that?" He crossed his arms over his chest.

"Nothing. I was just saying that you're a suck up, is all."

"No. You were talking about Paige weren't you? I am not her lap dog. I do things on my own terms. Besides we're not even—" Spinner stopped suddenly.

JT frowned. "Continue. Not even what?"

Spinner sat back down. "Nothing. Forget it." He opened up his notebook again.

JT was curious despite himself. "Oh come on you can't just leave me hanging like that."

"I'll leave you hanging literally if you don't shut—"

The door to the classroom opened and both boys immediately looked down at their books.

"Well everything seems okay in here," Principal Radditch said. He looked mildly surprised. "Keep it up." As soon as the door was shut, JT sprang up from his chair.

"Tell me, tell me, tell me," he said.

Spinner glared at him. "I told you, you'd better shut up."

"_I told you, you'd better shut up_," JT mimicked, hoping this strategy would work.

Spinner's eyes widened. "No, JT, stop it, I'm serious."

"_No, JT, stop it, I'm serious_."

"Cut it out!" Spinner got up and took a menacing step towards JT.

"_Cut it out_!" JT replied. "I'm not gonna stop until you tell me what you were going to say."

"You'd better, or I'll…"

"You'll what? You can't do anything! Unless you wanna get suspended."

"Just leave me alone," Spinner said.

"_Just leave me alone_." 

"JT!"

"_JT!_"

"We're not going out anymore! You happy?!" Spinner sank heavily back into his chair.

"_We're not going_—what?!" JT froze. "B-but that's impossible. You guys are like the…the peanut butter and jelly of the school!"

"Yeah well I guess peanut butter decided she was better off without jelly." Spinner shook his head.

"But why would peanut butt—I mean, Paige, do that? It doesn't make sense." JT couldn't help but feel a slight flutter in his stomach as he thought about the situation.

"She didn't fell the same way about me as I did about her, so there was nothing we could do about it." Spinner shrugs. "I guess it happens." Then he frowned suddenly. "Then again, if someone hadn't been making the moves on her at that party maybe she wouldn't have drifted away from me."  
JT held up his hands in a mute protestation of innocence. "I made no moves. There were no moves made, honest."

Spinner rolled his eyes. "Yeah, okay. Tell me you didn't want Paige this whole time."

"I didn't! Well, maybe a little. But still, I'm telling the truth. Nothing happened between us at the party. She was having a rough time and she drank a little too much and I was just trying to make sure she was okay." JT tried to look as innocent as he could.

Spinner stared at him for a minute. "Okay, well, then why did Jimmy say he saw you two kissing in the backyard?"

JT tried to figure out the best way to say what had happened. "Well, we kinda almost did."  
Spinner started to rise from his seat, his eyes blazing.

"But we didn't! She was really out of it, and I don't think she knew what she was doing. I mean, why would she want to kiss little old me?" JT let out a nervous bark of laugher. "She hates me!"

Spinner leaned back in his seat, suddenly looking defeated. He chuckled and JT wondered if he was preparing to pounce. "Are you crazy? She doesn't hate you at all. That's the problem."

"Huh?"

"She's completely crazy about you. There, I said it. We've all been in denial about it for so long. Now it's out in the open. Paige wanted to be with _you_ this whole time, not me."

"Uh, Spin I think you definitely have lost it this time," JT said slowly.

"No I haven't." He sighed. "Then again, maybe I have. Are you and I really, like bonding or something?"

JT half-smiled. "We might just be. Who knew?"

Spinner laughed in spite of himself. "Yeah." Then his face grew serious. "Listen, I really did—or do, love Paige. And I want her to be happy."

JT snorted. "Sorry, sorry, didn't mean to laugh. Just never thought I'd see you get all sappy like this."

"Shut up and let me finish or I'll finish you."  
"Ah, that's more like it."

"So as I was saying," Spinner continued. "I want her to be happy." He took a deep breath. "So I promise I will not beat you to a bloody pulp if you wanna ask her out."  
JT was taken aback. "Do you really mean that?"

Spinner nodded.

"Would it be wrong if I hugged you right now?"

"Don't push it."

  
  



	7. Headfirst

JT felt dizzy and lightheaded. It took him a second to realize that the reason was because he wasn't breathing. Taking deep breaths slowly, he edged out into the hallway. 

Paige was standing by her locker talking to Terri and Hazel. All three girls were smiling and chatting as they fixed their hair and reapplied their makeup.

JT felt Toby nudging him from behind.

"Go!"

"Okay, okay, lemme just get myself ready."

"You've been saying that all day. Just go up to her already. Spinner told you that she likes you, although I don't know why we're trusting him, so you don't have anything to worry about." Toby pushed him again and JT stumbled out into the hallway. This was it. He couldn't back down now. 

Slowly, he walked down the hall towards the girls, stuffing his hands into his pockets to keep them from shaking. Paige looked up when he was a few feet away and although she looked away quickly, he could tell by the way that she stood up taller that she knew he was watching her.

"Hello, ladies," JT said, noticing a slight tremor in his voice. Paige looked surprised while the others stared at him disdainfully.

"Yes?" Hazel said, zipping up her purse then crossing her arms.

"Uh, I-I just wanted t-to talk to Paige in p-private," JT stammered. 

Terri glanced at Paige. "I think whatever you have to say can be said in front of all of us." 

JT took his hands out of his pocket and began ringing them nervously. "O-okay. If you insist." He looked at Paige whose face was apprehensive and curious. Taking a deep breath he blurted out, "Wilyugoimesatdi?"

"Okay, slower and in English please," Hazel said. "I know it's difficult for you."

"Will you go out with me this Saturday?" JT repeated clearly.

Terri and Hazel looked at each other then burst out laughing.

"You are just never going to give up, aren't you?" Terri said with a grin. "She's never going to go out with you. Just because Spinner and her aren't together doesn't mean she's going to stoop to that level."

"Yeah, come on Paige, let's get to class before he gets anymore crazy ideas," Hazel added, tugging on her friend's sleeve.

But Paige didn't budge. She was staring at JT who stared right back at her. 

"Paige? Hello?" Hazel said slowly.

Paige turned her head to her friends who were watching her expectantly. "No."

"No, what?" Terri asked, confused.

"No, I'm not going to follow you guys to class. I've been doing too much following."

"What are you saying?" Hazel crossed her arms. "You can't tell me—you're not going to say yes to him, are you?" Terri laughed.

"I don't have to tell you guys anything. I'm Paige Michaelchuck. I'm the leader, the trend-setter, the one that everyone looks up to. I'm not some loser who needs approval from anyone else, including her friends."

JT felt a flutter of hope.

"Paige—" Hazel began.

"You know what? I'm going to start a new trend where I will date whoever I wanna date, no matter how much of a loser he is," Paige said heatedly.

JT paused not sure whether to be elated or insulted.

"I like JT. That's right, I _like _him. He's cute, nice, funny and has always been there for me." Paige paused to take a breath. "And I will go out with him on Saturday." With that, she grabbed JT's arm and stalked off in the opposite direction admist many stares. They turned a corner then went into the stairwell where Paige froze and slumped against the wall.

"Please tell me I didn't just do that," she murmured. 

"Uh, you didn't do that?" JT replied as helpfully as he could.

"But I did," she moaned. "They're going to hate me forever."

"No they won't," JT told her confidently. "Who could hate you for that long?"

Paige couldn't help but smile. "At least I got something out of the deal. I mean, not that you're a thing or anything…oh you know what I mean."

JT grinned. "I'm pretty impressed, Paige. Never expected you to do something like that. It was pretty awesome. And all for me!"

Paige shoved him teasingly. "Don't let it go to your head. They were just bothering me because they were trying to make my decisions for me."

JT was aware of Paige's arm lingering on his. A smile played across her face.

"So Saturday. Where are you taking me?"

JT shrugged. "I dunno. I spent so much time worrying over whether you would say yes I didn't really think about it." He thought for a second. "Well we've already been to the mall and the movies on our first, er, 'date'."

"Well surprise me then," Paige said. She took his hand in hers and JT felt a tingle race from his hand all the way up his arm. "Just nowhere in public please."

JT felt his heart sink. "Oh, um, okay."

Paige laughed at the dismay on his face. "I'm kidding!"

"Oh," he replied, smiling in relief. "Good. You're keeping me on my toes. I like that in a woman—"

Suddenly Paige leaned in to kiss him on the lips. When she finally pulled away, JT was speechless for a few seconds before managing to say, "I like that in a woman too."

Then he pushed open the door to the stairwell and led Paige out into the hallway, and walked her to class. They got many stares as they strolled along hand in hand but neither one cared.

When they reached Paige's classroom, she kissed JT on the cheek then said good bye with Terri and Hazel watching openmouthed. 

JT turned around walked calmly down the hall then upon reaching the doors, he leapt into the air with his fists raised.

"YES!" he shouted, then continued on to his next class, a permanent grin on his face for the rest of the day.


End file.
